Transtasman travel bubble: Quarantine-free flights open from Auckland to Brisbane

Passengers won't have to quarantine on their arrival to Brisbane. Photo / 123rf

Quarantine-free flights from Auckland to Brisbane start tomorrow - meaning travellers will not need to spend two weeks isolating in Australia when they arrive.

Air New Zealand said the first flight will depart tomorrow morning after a rule change across the Tasman allowed quarantine-free travel.

"Flights from Auckland to Brisbane will operate similarly to the flights we have been operating to Sydney and Melbourne – with quarantine-free flights for people whose travel originates in New Zealand, and quarantine flights for people who do not meet the Safe Travel Zone criteria and are required to quarantine on arrival in Australia," Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said.

Passengers on the quarantine-free flight, have to declare they have been in New Zealand for the previous 14 days.

Passengers won't have to quarantine on their arrival to Brisbane. Photo / 123rf

"Our teams have been working closely with authorities in Australia to ensure all agencies are satisfied processes are in place to confidently accept quarantine-free flights, and we thank customers for their patience while we've worked with various agencies in Australia to ensure we can keep everyone safe.

"We currently operate five return flights per week between Auckland and Brisbane. Three of these services will be quarantine-free flights, while the remaining two will be quarantine flights. Quarantine flights are not able to be booked by people beginning their journey in New Zealand."

A one-way ticket to Brisbane will cost $533 for a seat and carry-on luggage, the works package $583 and the works deluxe option - two checked bags and guaranteed no neighbour - will set you back just under $800.

Those returning to New Zealand will still need to quarantine for two weeks on their arrival here, and register and pay for managed isolation via the NZ Government's website.

Business fares for tomorrow's 7.40am flight NZ147 are sold out and there are no seats available for flights scheduled out of Auckland on Friday and Sunday.

Queensland has no known active Covid-19 cases and has shut the border to New South Wales after the resurgence of coronavirus in the community in the northern beaches and central Sydney.

Air New Zealand advised that passengers planning to travel beyond Queensland, need to check state travel restrictions and ensure they have the necessary exemptions to travel.

Acting NSW Premier John Barilaro says the latest cluster in Sydney's west of 15 cases is set to grow in today's numbers - saying there will be "one or two more" connected to the Berala outbreak.

He said that the cluster – stemming from a bottle shop – carried "great risk" but he stopped short of formally restricting travel to the state's regions after a case from the outbreak travelled 900km through the state.

A slew of venues in NSW's west were hit with Covid-19 warnings yesterday after being visited by an 18-year-old who went on a camping trip across the state while unknowingly infected.

Barilaro is also holding crisis talks to discuss whether restrictions in the northern zone of Sydney's northern beaches should be lifted earlier than January 9.

Currently, a stay-at-home order is in place and northern zone residents can only leave the house for four reasons, while outdoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of five people. In Greater Sydney, the restrictions are lighter with a maximum of five people in a home while face masks have been made mandatory in indoor settings.

Meanwhile just a single local case was picked up in Victoria from a monumental testing effort yesterday. There are 41 active cases of Covid-19 across the state.

For more information on the Safe Travel Zone click here.

-with news.com.au